American and European astrophysicists were able to see the thread of dark matter, connecting galaxies Abell 222 and Abell 223, distortions in the radiation from distant stars, caused a huge mass of gas thread between these entities, according to a paper published in the journal Nature.

It is believed that the universe in its structure is similar to a giant three-dimensional web. Its threads are clusters of dark matter, the so-called filaments. At the point of intersection of these threads are dense clumps of visible matter - separate galaxies and star group of megacities. Scientists have repeatedly announced the opening of filaments, however, all evidence of their existence are based on indirect data, mathematical modelling, on unsubstantiated or false data.

A group of astronomers led by Jorg Dietrich (Joerg Dietchrich) from Michigan state University in the city of Ann arbor (USA) studied galaxies Abell 222 and Abell 223 for the past five years.

In 2008 scientists received pictures Abell 222 and Abell 223 in x-rays by means of the orbital telescope XMM-Newton and found in the surrounding intergalactic space accumulation of hot gas in the form of an "umbilical cord"connecting the galaxy. The mass of this gas has allowed scientists partly explain the lack of visible matter in galaxies and other structures.

Astrophysicists have analyzed the spectrum and other characteristics of the radiation of the studied galaxies and determined the degree of curvature of light from a distant star cities"that are called Abell 222 and Abell 223 and connecting gas "umbilical cord". As the scientists explain, any accumulation of matter large mass, including dark matter interacts with light and forces him to bend the rays, like an ordinary optical lens. This effect scientists called gravitational lensing.

Dietrich and his colleagues used the obtained values of the curvature to calculate the masses of galaxies and linking their gas threads. It turned out, barely visible in x-rays "umbilical cord" was a very massive education of its total weight was approximately 100 trillion solar masses, which is 30 mass of our Galaxy, the milky way.

According to scientists, such a mass of filaments comparable with the weight of galaxies Abell 222 and Abell 223 - 270 and 340 trillion Solar masses. The share of warm gas in the "umbilical cord" was rather low - only 9% of the total mass of the gas threads.

According to scientists, the mass of filaments in General corresponds to the predictions of theoretical astrophysics. Low share of warm gas, emitting in the x-ray, ultraviolet, and other bands, explains why XMM-Newton and other telescopes cannot find a sufficient number of visible material stuck to the web threads of dark matter between galaxies.